A conventional can crusher includes: a piston pivotally connected with a lever handle for a reciprocatively sliding movement in a recess chamber formed in a housing mounted on an elongated base member whereby upon a pulling of the handle to move the piston forwardly in the housing chamber, an aluminum can inserted in the chamber will be squeezed by the piston for minimizing the volume of the can for convenient disposal.
However, such a conventional can crusher may have the following drawbacks:
1. when pulling the handle to move the piston for squeezing the can, a counter force will be exerted from the can under compression as it is impacted by the piston and such a counter force will be fed back to the operator's hand gripping the handle to partially counteract the compression force produced by the handle, thereby requiring greater force for crushing a can; and
2. since a portable can crusher is generally used by a family for compacting and treating a beverage can drunk by the family, the can crusher should be designed to be easily and lightly operated, even convenient for a woman or a child. The conventional portable can crusher is operated heavily and is not suitable for a woman or child's operation.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of a conventional can crusher and has invented the present can crusher to be lightly operated.